


Obligation

by t0talcha0s



Category: BioShock
Genre: Drinking, Established Relationship, F/F, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 17:59:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7325026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t0talcha0s/pseuds/t0talcha0s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were plenty of parties in Rapture, the most wild were hosted by Sander Cohen, but Julie Langford or Brigid Tenenbaum were hardly ever in attendance unless they had to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obligation

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a late night art trade with my girl Insaneandbloody

Brigid Tenenbaum is not a woman who owns party dresses. More simply put, Brigid Tenenbaum is not a woman who parties. Her wardrobe is limited to rather frumpy, pale dresses, and a collection of labcoats in various states of falling apart. The baby blue part dress she's wearing is from Fontaine's, the small black heels she balanced awkwardly on are also from Fontaine's, she is at the opening party of one of one of Sander Cohen's exhibitions because of Fontaine. Frank had insisted the entire Fontaine Futuristics plasmid development team be present for the opening because Cohen used a prototype plasmid in his exhibition, and it was too great a press gambit for any of them to remain absent. Usually Brigid would keep as far away from Cohen as possible, him being a daft lunatic and all, but Frank could be... Persuasive. And she was getting payed to be there so she had toughened up, slapped on a mediocre layer of makeup, and took a shot the minute she walked through the door. 

She doesn't know the name of the man she's talking to, more being talked at by really. All she had wanted was a nice smoke in the back of the room so she could fulfill her contractual obligation in peace but it is obvious that plan was a wash. It's not that the man's voice is particularly unpleasant, she just figures that if he were even remotely intelligent he would read her posture and face and know how deeply disinterested she was in this whole affair. Her patience wears thin once her cigarette burns down and as she snubs the cigarette butt in a nearby ashtray she bluntly shuts him down. 

"You jabber like this on and on and on, I do not know how much more obviously I can show that I care not for what you're saying, leave me in peace." She waves him off, looking away as he indignantly stomps off. She reaches for another cigarette but halts when she hears a familiar chuckle.

"You just broke the man's heart Brigid." Julie's voice is brash and very American, and her tone is nothing but blatantly amused and thoroughly unapologetic. Brigid can't help but find her good company, she has a fellow, albeit lesser, interest in genetics, a sense of humor Brigid enjoys, a honesty Brigid can't even begin to emulate, and an indescribable strength that makes her deeply interesting. She has a glass of scotch in hand, the other reserved for gesturing during her speech. Julie wears a green dress that drapes slightly off one shoulder, falls at a more then conservative length, is dreadfully pilly, and looks lazily ironed and unworn. Brigid finds her stunning. 

"He just kept talking talking talking." Brigid rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah this doesn't really seem like your kind of gig, not exactly a party animal are you?" 

"And you are so often seen out of Arcadia?" 

"As long as there's free booze." Brigid could raise a glass to that, but she doesn't have one. She plucks the glass out of Julie's hand and takes a drink of earthy scotch that burns a trail down her throat. Good free booze at that, Julie recognizes the small, satisfied grin on Brigid's face. "It's Sinclair's, he may not be the most honest businessman but he's got good scotch." 

"I know plenty about doing business with Sinclair, but I'm not here for that, where can I get alcohol of this quality?" 

"The bartender in the far right corner is significantly better then the others." Brigid looked over at him, eyeing his martini shaker and his distance from her, she noted Sander Cohen in the middle of the room, doing some odd, uncomfortable looking performance art involving Vaseline, red paint, and masculine looking young men. 

"Shall I escort you there." Julie stuck out her arm for Brigid to take, but Brigid knocked her arm away. 

"Only because you are a friendly face." She downed the rest of Julie's scotch and put the glass down on a table. 

"Well isn't that the nicest thing you've ever said to me sugar." They began to walk around the edges of the room, skillfully avoiding any contact with other partygoers and when Brigid stumbles in her heels Julie's hands are already on her shoulder and on her own to help her upright. Brigid doesn't let go of her hand until they reach the bar. 

"What can I get a couple of gals like you?" The bartender asked, smiling at the two of them only to be returned with unamused faces. 

"Scotch." Brigid said bluntly. 

"I'll take one of what she's having." Julie quickly added. The bartender nodded and turned to get glasses. "You can really put it away can't you Bridge." 

"I have practice." She picks up the glass of scotch he bartender serves. "And plenty of workplace annoyances to drink away." 

"It seems you've been too busy drinking to visit me." 

"Arcadia is so muddy." She said it halfheartedly, it was a poor excuse. "Frank hired a new employee, he mainly works with Suchong but he is a handful." Under her breath she curses him, _"Arschloch"_

"With language like that you really must not like him." Julie had little idea what Brigid had said, but it sounded earnestly exasperated. Brigid nodded and took a drink, the hurt in Julie's previous statement didn't slip by her, it was obviously straining their relationship that they hadn't seen each other in some time. Brigid couldn't help but blame herself. Julie held her glass up with a smile. "It's no matter, to free booze." Brigid clinked her glass against hers and they fell into a rhythm of comfortable conversation, about genes, and people, and an occasional offhanded comment about how lovely the other looked, those came mainly, but not exclusively, from Julie's side. They both knew to appreciate them, but not point them out. 

As the number of hours until dawn grew fewer and the number of drinks they'd both consumed grew greater Julie suggested,

"Why don't we get out of here." Brigid nodded, not even looking back at the party scene and walking out elbow to elbow with Julie. Once they were far enough away from the ruckus Julie took Brigid's hand, giving a light squeeze, which made Brigid smile just a tad. "I came because I knew you'd be there." Julie said honestly, running her thumb over the back of Brigid's hand. 

"I know." Brigid appreciated the gesture and took a few moments to enjoy the feeling of Julie's hand in hers. As they got a suitable distance away from the party, and any foot traffic left in downtown, Brigid spoke very quietly. "Ich liebe dich." Julie's smile was bright and wide and uncontrollable. 

"I know." She said with joy. Julie Langford is not the type of woman who owns party dresses, or a woman who parties, but suffering through a party seemed completely worth it to hear those words.

**Author's Note:**

> Part of this may be poorly characterized but w/e. I always feel bad that I talk about tenenford daily but never put out any good tenenford content. 
> 
> Tumblr = barefootcosplayer


End file.
